Put on your thinking caps
There’s no access to the internet at Kiwanis Quiz Night, just four friends coming together as a committee to figure out – or often guess - the correct answers in their trivial pursuit.
Questions like what’s the name of Canada’s deepest lake? If you circumnavigate the globe to the west, do you gain or lose a day? Which actor or actress won the most Academy Awards? Remember, no internet.
The team to beat was Les Quizzables, the defending champs three years running. It’s made up of captain Gerry Anderson who’s a retired school principal, Ian Butters, a retired teacher, Craig Henderson, a retired radio announcer, and James Miller, the editor of this newspaper.
The Liti-Gators were up for the challenge. The team of legal pros includes Tom Kampa, Jason Oliver, Sharol Papp and Khushali Vyas. They gave Les Quizzables a run for their money, answering 63 of the 80 questions correctly. However they fell two shy of the reigning champs, who got 65 questions right to win for a fourth year.
Placing third with 57 points were the Barri-Stars – Katja Butters, Jennifer Kwong, Bill Oliver and Ryu Okayama.
Anderson, the captain of Les Quizzables, said it’s important for each teammate to be knowledgeable about most topics, and also have their own specific area of expertise.
He remembers the team really putting their heads together for a question about which Canadian activist is pictured on the $10 bill (It would have been cheating to peek into their wallets.)
“We got it just through really good discussion,” Anderson said. “I knew it started with a V, so I wrote that letter down.”
That prompted somebody to recall the rest of her name is Viola. Then another teammate remembered the name Viola Davis. But wait, that’s an American actress. Her last name does start with a D though, and that led them to the right answer – Viola Desmond.
Anderson said the members of Les Quizzables discussed going their separate ways at future Quiz Nights and forming rival teams, but after winning again on Wednesday, they don’t feel ready yet.
“We’d have done that if we lost. But it’s hard to split up a team that’s on a roll like that.”
Beyond the sums of money directly raised for the benefit of OSNS, winners donated their cash prizes as well. Quiz Night was hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Penticton at St. Saviours Anglican Church.